Coupling



Allg. l, w s. REED 1,920,524

COUPLING Original Filed Sept. 3, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. l, 1933.

w. s. REED COUPLING Original Filed Sept. 3, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. l, 1933. W. s. REED g2'39524 COUPLNG Original Filed Sept. 3, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 f ige.

Patented Aug. 1, 1933 CoUrLING William S. Reed, Deceased, i Leominster, Mass., by Allie L. Reed, Executrix, Leominster, Mass.

Reiiled `for abandoned application Serial No.

389,926, September 3, v1929.

Serial No. 662,512

April 22, 1933.

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a hose coupling par ticularly adapted for use as a suction coupling, but capable of general use, and is a renling of abandoned application Serial No.' 389,926, led Sept. 3, 1929. j

The usual coupling of this type comprises a female member provided with swinging jaws, screwthreaded in the inside, so as to permit the two members of the coupling to be coupled quickly by merely inserting the maleme'mber into the female member longitudinally and yet operating to prevent their accidental separation except by unscrewing. n

The principal objects of this invention are to g provide means whereby the screw-threaded jaws` of the other member of the coupling and to provide the coupling with two handles by which it can be manipulated eciently and conveniently to set or unlockthe jawsand to provide a coupling-that will t threads ondiameters of different sizes even with diiierent standards of threads. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter. j

Reference is to be had to the drawings in which y j Fig. 1 is a side View of a coupling member constructed in accordance with this invention,` with the cooperating male Amember slightly separated therefrom; ,Y j

Fig. 2 is a plan of the coupling with thejaws retracted so as not to show;

Fig. 3 is a plan showing the jaws projected inwardly;

Fig. 4 is a yplan of the? main ring or coupling member ywith the cover removed;

Fig. 5 is a sectionaly view on the broken line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of thejaws; Figs. 7 and 3 are enlarged,sectionalwyiews on the lines 7--7 ofFig. 5 and 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 isa plan of the cam ring and jaws, .and

accompanying Fig. 10 is a plan of the body member of the] coupling n A disadvantage of the former constructions was that the jaws were held out intocontact with the screw member only by spring pressure. Therefore, if the threads got worn there might be a possibility of the male member being pulled out of .the coupling member. In order to avoid this, there is provided means forpositively operating and holding all the jaws inward, thus pre venting the above mentioned possibility, even whenrthe device `is much worn. This is particularlyv valuable in a largesuction socketand for other purposes.

The coupling member or head 1 is the part to which this invention is applied. The member 2 This application is the'male member. on the hydrant or engine or it may be Va hose from which the water is to be drawn. The coupling member 1 is provided with a cylindrical wall having a plurality of radial parallel sided slots 4 in which are slidably mounted jaws v5, having screw teeth 6, formed on their inner faces. These, screw teeth form part of a continuous screw-'thread to nt the thread 3 on the coupling member 2. The jaws have opposite parallel flanges 26 that fit in undercut recesses along the slots 4 to prevent thev tilting of the jawslunder high pressure andprevent the jaws Y'pressing against the cover ring 16. The said-undercut recesses 7 are located in what I have called the'female member 1 ofthe coupling. The jaws 5 also have slots 8 in the bottom.

The member l extends below and is provided with a half circular 'circumferential groove on its inner cylindrical surface matching with a similar groove on the outside of the lower member 9. In this groove` is inserted a wire 10 through a passage ll which is closed by a screw 12. This holds the meinbersland 9 together witha swiveled connection.. The member 9 has a cylindrical extension at its end which is provided with internal grooves 22v for receiving and holding a hose, preferably the suction hose of an engine. This is fixed in it in any ordinary way. Of' course this end canbe made in any usual way to receive a male or female coupling member.

The body member 9 has a flat circular shoulder which supports the member 1 and also a cam ring Y13. This ring nts against the memberl on the outside of the latter and is capable of turning thereon, being turned bya handle 14. It is provided with alseries of spiral cams 15, the same shape YasV the grooves 8, butY longer, and iitting therein. The turning oi this ring therefore'will move the jaws out and in positively and when they are projected inwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, they are practically` locked in that position by the cams and there is no danger of their being pushed back into the position shown inFig. 5 and 2 accidentally. On the end of the female member 1 is a cap 16 which is open inside on the same diameter 'as the member 1 and flush with the inner cylindrical opening therein. On the outside it nts thatmernber and A they have an intermeshing screws thread by which the cover, through its handle 17, canbe removed from the inner member. After being screwed up to the closed position shown in Fig. 5 thetwo parts 1 and ld areheld against un- Yscrewing by a screw 18. Also the ring 13 is held in xed position after it has been turned into project the jaws by a handle screw 19 located on thering 13 and a shoe 2G inside which isforced Y by the screw againstthe circumference oflthe member 1 to hold them in that position. This, of course, also furnishes a positive lock to prevent vso the turning of the ring- 13 by vibration or the like. i v

It will be noticed that the merfiber l, between the slots in which the jaws work, is of a hollow construction for reducing the weight o1" the cou` pling. v Another feature isthe provision of pack-.

ing `21 consisting of a flat rubberl ring or gasket which rests on the shoulder formed by the top of the member 9 and a horizontal circular shoulder on the member 1. This ring therefore covers the joint between these two members and preventsleakage through that joint as well as leakage past the screw-threaded end 3 which screws down on this packing.

. In v the operation of the device it `will be understood that the member 9 is secured to the end of a hose which projects inside it and which is the suction hose of thel engine preferably. The parts being in the position shown in Figs. 1 and l0, the two handlesV 14 and 17 are moved in the direction of the two arrows in Fig'. 2 or either one is moved in the proper direction. This is possible because the members which support them are both swiveledso to turn with comparative ease. The screw-threaded end 3 of the male member of the threads the whole coupling can be `turned a littler until they do. Then the two parts l and 2 are connected togethei'and in screw-threaded relation but without having to rotate the coupling.

This is a very quick and practically instan-7 taneous way of connecting two members. The handle le being turned around until stopped by the iact that'the screw-threaded jaws have en tered full into the screw-threads 3 and 6, the

- handle 19 is turned to clamp the parts l and 13 handle..

together in stationary relationship. This posi tively locks these parts together. f The ,uncoupling will bethe reverse operation, as will be obvious. t

rfhe cap 16V can be removedby lloosening the screw l18 and unscrewingthe cap by means of its This exposes the interior of the device in the condition shown in Fig. 4.

This constitutes an instantaneous and positive coupling particularly desired for large hose or pipes and more Yspeciiically intended for the suction hose on a re engine. The parts are strong and vpr .ctical and theijaws do not depend on any springs for forcing them inor holding them in position. There is no danger of uncoupling accidentally and the whole-construction is simple and comparatively inexpensive. -The jaws 5 can-v Vnot tilt back under heavy pressure on the circumference on account of `the recess '7 and projections 26A and-press against thecover.

This furnishes a very quick, safe, and'easy means for moving connection with a pump or hydrant; Y Time is saved on the early starting of a iirefwhich is-very important. The quick disconnection of this device, when a fire comes too near, enables the men to avoid falling walls at times Vand to move to another place where there is a water supply. Much time is saved and the tediousl labor of unscrewing is avoided.

Although only one form of the invention is illustrated and described herein, it will be evident The turning of theseV f person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, the inventor does not wish to be limited in this respect, butV what is claimed l. A coupling, comprising a body member, and a head member swiveled thereon, said head member being provided with vertical radial opentopped slots in its walls, a series of jaws located in said slots, cams under said jaws to force them inwardly, meansto `actuate said cams, said jaws having teeth thereon constituting a part of a continuous screw-thread around the coupling member, the jaws having slots for receivingv said cams and having lateral projections along the side and said coupling member having slots for said projectionsto prevent all tendency1 ci' the jaws to tilt and to remove the pressure of the jaws against the cap.

2. A circular coupling, comprising a body member, and a head member swiveled thereon, said headmember being provided with radial slots'in its wall, jawslocated in said slots and slidably mounted, the 'jaws being provided'with parts of the same'screw-thread on their inner surfaces; a ring rotatably mounted on said head and having curved cams fitting curved slots Vin the jaws for` positively moving the jaws out and in and locking them in, and means for locking said ring against movement relative to the head.

3. A coupling, comprising a body member, and a head member swiveled thereon, said head mem ber having radial slots, internally screwthreaded jaws slidingly mounted in said slots, a cap'for closing the top of the head member beyond said slots adapted to screw on the outside of said coupling member, a ring rotatably mounted on said head member and having cam projections for engaging said jaws and moving them when the ring is turned, and handles on the cam ring and cap kforuse in' causing a relative turning motion between the ring and coupling member. i

`4. A coupling member provided withvvertical radial open-topped slots .in its walls, a series of jaws located in said slots, a series of cams under said jaws in a single plane to force them inwarde ly, said jaws having teeth thereon constituting a partei a continuous screw-thread around the coupling member, a cap attached by screw threads at the end of the coupling member and projecting over the end thereof to seal it from the entrance of water and means for positively holding the cap in position after,V it is screwed down. Y

5. A coupling for a hose comprising a body member, and a head member swiveled thereon, said head member having radial slots, jaws slid-` ablymounted insaid slots and having partsfof a summe of the Estate of William s. Reed. 

